December 2023
The children of the “third course”, 2023, are finishing their school year in a crescendo of activities and discoveries thanks to the work of Aasha and Kumari.
Colors, fruits, vegetables, animals, they learn names in both Nepalese and English. If in July they were slightly suspicious of us, in December they had become “best friends” and – without exception – they involved us in their activities.
And then, singing and dancing and days out, in the courtyard of Himali Boarding, the school that hosts our kindergarten, to enjoy the sun that warms bodies and souls.
It is Christmas also in Kathmandu, in Nepal all religious festivals are celebrated!
Meanwhile, Alisha, the teacher who helped Aasha, left in search of fortune in the Arab countries. We are in contact with her, we know that she is well and that she is satisfied with the choice made.
We make her the biggest “good luck”, because he really deserves it.
In July, in our kindergarten we had the pleasure of hosting Silvia (and Lorenzo), general manager of 1 Caffé Onlus. Thanks to the fundraising activity of 1 Caffé Onlus (which continues for 52 weeks a year), just in those days we collected over a thousand euros for CampoBase Association and theactivities of our kindergarten.
It was a totally unexpected opportunity, so even more valuable.
The Kindergarten funded by CampoBase at the Himali Boarding School in Kathmandu, allows about fifteen children aged 2 to 4 years and in conditions of particular economic difficulties, to have access to basic education.
In Kathmandu, many families survive thanks to jobs founded day by day.
This precarious situation often forces women to stay at home to look after the children, in a condition of total dependence on their husbands. In many cases, they are still forced to leave home to look for a job, a livelihood, leaving the children alone for hours. All of these situations are highly riskies in terms of dangers, neglect and deprivation.
With the Kindergarten, we are able, all together, to guarantee the children a clean classroom, a teacher and two childcare assistants, toys and useful tools for their learning.
December 2022
The children of the “second course”, 2022, are ending their school year in a crescendo of activities and discoveries thanks to the work of our teachers and the caregiver.
Aasha, in the photos with the blue fleece, began an ECEC (Early Child Education Centre) training paid by CampoBase to certify her skills as a kindergarten teacher (for more information on ECEC: https://ecec.org.np/).
The benefits of the first session she attended were immediate for our children: new games, new educational experiences, and lots of fun.
The children of the oncoming “third course”, that we will host in our Kindergarten starting from April 2023, will therefore find the best conditions for a warm welcoming, a very good care and certified educational activities.
May - June 2022
Opened on February 16, 2021, our Kindergarten has finished its first year of life and has “graduated” the first 15 children.
Many of them are attending the school where we operate and have started the first year of “Pre-school”; it is no coincidence to see them around our Kindergarten, because it seems to be much more fun than going to school!
We then welcomed 15 new children thanks to Aasha, Alisha and Sapana, the two teachers and the caregiver who take care of them.
We have further implemented and organized the teaching material of the Kindergarten: now, everything is neatly placed in a fantastic cabinet built on commission by our friend Gagan.
We decided – and immediately activated – a free service of paediatrics, with at least two visits per year guaranteed by Dr
Saroj Karki.
The first visit allowed us
to have a precise picture of all the new children who will attend the kindergarten, with useful data such as age, stature, weight and other anthropometric measures, in order to follow their growth and development.
Another result – immediate – is to teach children the basics of oral hygiene, buying for them toothbrushes and toothpaste that they keep in the Kindergarten and use after lunch.
A new vacuum cleaner lightens the work of the teachers at the end of the day and makes it possible to keep the kindergarten in perfect condition when the children have returned home.
Contrary to what was foreseen and written in the previous report and for organizational reasons not dependent on our will, at the moment it is not possible to activate the food service for children, who eat what is prepared at home by their parents: this is a critical issue that we are considering how to resolve.
December 21 – January 22
Inaugurated on February 16, 2021, our Kindergarten entered his full capacity starting from January 16, 2022, and it will be operational from 9 to 16, six days a week, providing meals to children.
In this first year, about fifteen children have used our services continuously.
The coaching of Aasha has also begun: the new teacher is perfect with children, full of enthusiasm and desire “to do well” and above all in line with the spirit of the CampoBase project.
Aasha will be assisted in the activities with the children by Alisha, a very precious p resence since the first days of the Kindergarten; both will be joined by Gauri, cook and caregiver, who will prepare meals for the children.
We have further implemented Kindergarten’s didactic material in these days, we are defini ng the colour to repaint the kitchen where the children will eat as well as “shopping list” with everything necessary to set it up in the best
possible way.
August 02-23, 2021
In line with our policy of small but significant steps, this will concern collaborations and support on important projects following the three main axes of our Status: scholarship and gender’s equality, sport and music practicing. These projects will be managed by associations and NGOs highly experienced and financially sound.
It will be the best way for us to gain experience, have immediate feedback on projects and make any corrections in a timely and effective manner.
Schools in Nepal have been closed for several months, operating only through online learning.
Nepalese media insisted a lot on the pandemic and on the risks due to the gatherings: this news discouraged parents from taking their children to the kindergarten, even if not specifically forbidden.
Even our Kindergarten can now finally start its activity by welcoming more and more children and activating the canteen service, so far unused precisely because the few children who accessed the KG were left for no more than two/three hours a day.
We painted the wall near the Kindergarten to get it more playful, cheerful and colorful, involving the Himali School’s hostel children in the “decoration” of the corridor leading to our classroom, embellished with new paper works made by our staff.
We have implemented the initial equipment of the Kindergarten with new games and didactic material for children.
The puzzle, with the names of all CampoBase supporters, is now on this wall leading to the entrance to the Kindergarten: it is a series of 9 photos by our Stefano Gandolfi, with children from different parts of the world and completed with the motto: All the children of the world have the right to education.
Our Kindergarten in the words of Mr Netra Upadhaya.
16th March 2021, OUR 1st MONTH
One month ago, our Kindergarten activities in Kathmandu began.
Let’s celebrate!
We did many things in this month, thanks to all of you: the puzzle already has a large number of tiles with your names written on the back; the customers of Voglio la Luna continue to support us, thanks to the tireless Laura, who tells them about our project; the teamwork with Anna and Daniela led to a second voucher that can be spent at Decathlon, thanks to your Cards associated with CampoBase; we are still benefiting from the yoga class proposed and offered this Sunday, March 14, by Cristina. Augusta and Stefano continue to introduce us to Nepal and its complexity, through their incisive writings and exciting photos. In the meantime, the children learn to count and recognize the names of the different parts of the body, followed by the teacher Kamala and Kalpana, the supervisor. In the next few days we will have an interview with Netra, our Principal, to hear the latest news and the plans for the future.
Thank you.
16th February 2021 KINDERGARTEN OPENING DAY
Today February 16th 2021 at CampoBase we open our Kindergarten!
On the day dedicated to Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, music, art and wisdom, a beautiful party was held, involving children, parents and teachers at Himali Boarding School. Then, everyone at school, learning and playing, in the classroom and in the courtyard, enjoing a beautiful sun!
Mr Netra Upadhaya explains the ideas behind Campobase’s Kindergarten Project and its importance for the children and their mothers.